


Darling, I Do

by konoyo



Category: Monster of the Week (Tabletop RPG), Seven Miles (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Kidnapping, Other, being a badass, words and feelings are hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 00:27:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19734691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/konoyo/pseuds/konoyo
Summary: What if the dream team stayed together?





	Darling, I Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MQ1693](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MQ1693/gifts).



"Do you know where we are?"

The room is dimly lit in green, a large tarp covering up most of the window. Val has peeled it back a little, but the most they can tell is that they're on a high floor, maybe five stories up, and their building windows face a lawn and a two floor international food warehouse. Not helpful.

"Not exactly, but we didn't drive far... Just ten minutes away from the school and we didn't get on the expressway."

"Warehouse district off MacPherson?"

"Probably. Where else would you keep your kidnapees?" Avery sighs and there's a click of a knife being sheathed. Trust Avery to keep a knife somewhere not even professionals can find it. There are coils of rope on the ground, victims of the blade, but it won't be nearly enough to get them down.

"So it's unlikely we'll find a taxi around here. What's the closest subway stop?"

"Depends. Might be Potong Pasir, in which case we're lucky, the purple line will get us most of the way home. Mataar if we're not so." It's not like they can go to the police, not without knowing who's payroll they're on, exactly. Val sighs and moves away from the window. "You know, I thought we'd go to have dinner somewhere nice tonight. How does Corner House sound to you?"

"What, the fancy place in the Botanical Gardens?" Avery looks doubtful. "Why there?"

Val rubs the back of their head, trying to think of an answer, all but kicking the floor with the heel of their shoe. They just want... They don't know what they want. To treat Avery to something nice because they are holding out hope that maybe they can convince Avery to come with them to America. Val doesn't know what they'll do without Avery. "Uh, well, you know, thought we'd make tonight special. No real reason."

Avery is still looking uncertain but heads to the door, their only way out at this point, inspecting the lock. "What about Yang Ji? Then head over to Flagship and get smashed. You can't find that kind of food or that variety of bourbons in California, I bet."

Val pouts but stays quiet while Avery listens for any noise outside the door. Clearly these thugs didn't recognize Avery. If they had recognized them, they would have checked Avery's boots and the sides of their binder a little more thoroughly. So of course there's no one on guard.

"We do that all the time though," Val says once Avery moves on to forcing the lock.

"And then we can head over to 28 and stay there until we can't move."

Val groans. That _does_ sound good. But they often do this, and then they get drunk and sloppy and then they don't have the energy to do anything but makeout in the backseat of the cab ride home as the sun rises. Val wants it to be... special. They have trouble finding the words for why. Why indeed... Because, well, because Avery is so good, so loving, so kind to them, so fun to be around. They owe them, they owe them so much and not just for getting them out of situations like this. This sort of thing is just a day in the life of Avery super hot badass Moran. It's all the rest that Val treasures. That they want to keep. Or at least try to. Lord knows they rarely get what they truly want.

"Look," they say. "I just thought we could make it a... Post kidnapping party. But if that's what you want, I'm game. You know I am."

There's a loud snap of the lock being forced open. "We can go to the fancy place. Do we need to get changed?"

"I'm not going in my uniform," Val says, lowering their voice as they peek out through the now open door. The hallway is dimly lit and empty. "I would like to drink. But if you just want to do the usual, we can do that."

"We can do what you want, I don't mind," Avery says in a whisper. "Come on, this way. I was just wondering why."

"Just a change of pace, I don't know..." Val follows Avery down the hall, both of them keeping close to a wall. "Ah, shit there's a camera."

"Alright, then we have to hurry. Stay behind me."

They find the exit sign with little problem, hurrying down the stairs in silence. So far, so no one. This is terrible. Val doesn't think he's seen a worse kidnapping set up in years. It's embarrassing that they were grabbed in the first place, really, if this is the extent of the security on this place. At this point, they can just waltz right out the front d-

Avery stops right before rounding a corner. There are three assholes out in the lobby. They don't seem to be paying attention to anything, just chatting amongst each other about how much they're going to get paid. Fucking great. Val catches Avery's wrist just as they're about to step out. There's a sinking feeling in their gut where usually they would be glad to pick a fight.

"I can take them," Avery says, frowning. "They don't even have guns."

"Neither do you. There's got to be a back exit. Where the trucks load or something."

"Val, come on. You've _seen_ me fight three dudes before. The truck gates are probably closed since this place isn't in use and the faster we get out of here, the more time we have for dinner."

"Yeah, well, maybe I wanted to have dinner with you without worrying about your bruises or cuts."

Avery turns back to them this time. They still look confused, uncertain even. "What is so special about this dinner, Val? What's going on? I know you're leaving but that's not for a couple of months, isn't it?"

There's that immediate nervousness. Val is still holding on to Avery's wrist. This is the goddamn worst. "Well, I just wanted to show you that I love you..." Avery's eyes go round and Val fights the urge to backtrack. It's true, anyway, and maybe they hadn't meant to say it in quite those words but it settles as soon as it leaves their mouth. "W-Which shouldn't be a surprise- I've been fairly obvious about it-" They have been, haven't they? It's been painfully obvious that Avery is their whole world for a while now.

There's an abrupt 'Hey!' from the lobby as they're spotted and Avery shoves Val back and away from them, cutting off what was going to be an embarrassing spiral of words. 

"Run!"

....

"Please, please, you're hurting me," Val whines, tears streaking down their cheeks. "I'm sorry, we won't try it again..." The man that's taping their wrists together behind their back is sporting a swiftly growing welt under his left eye which is pretty satisfying to see even as they're frog marched back into the holding room. "Please, I just want to see my mummy," they continue, doing their best impression of a wiggling eel as the man duct forces them down and kneels to duct tape their feet.

Val can see Avery across the room, bound and gagged far more securely than Val is, sporting a couple of bruises of their own. 'God, Val, you sure know how to time things,' their expression seems to say. They give another theatrical sniffle. "Please, sir... I just want to see my parents, my brother," they manage before they're also gagged. The man leaves, but Val can hear him muttering something about kidnapping 'goddamn children' to the two others as he does.

Good, feel bad. They smile at Avery from behind the duct tape, rewarded with a slow blink and a shake of their head. Val tilts their head to the side.

_Sorry._

Avery sighs then nods which Val takes as their cue to start wiggling out of the tape. Their show had an effect: they get their hands free within a couple of minutes, wincing as they tear off the piece across their mouth. Ow. They give Avery a winning smile. They can see the crinkle in Avery's eye. They're smiling back.

Val makes as quick and quiet work of their feet as they can. There's a guard outside the room this time so they try and keep the noise of tearing tape as soft as possible, then move to Avery's side, gently but quickly tearing off their gag as well. Avery doesn't even flinch. Val smiles and steals a kiss while they're there. It's damp and sticky with tape residue but who cares? As long as Avery is kissing them back. Now. There should be a knife right... here. They wiggle a small pocket knife between their fingers, shaking their head. Avery shrugs, still smiling. What can they say?

With that it's short, silent work of the rest of the tape and rope. The hirelings tried their best, they really did. Not good enough however.

They're both free now and Val hands Avery their knife. Their hands brush and Avery's fingers squeeze around the palm of Val's hand once the knife is no longer between them. It's enough of a gesture that Val stops and squeezes back. Just for a small, intimate moment. It's all they'll get for now. It's all they need.

Then, they take positions on either side of the door, Val crouched by the hinges, Avery standing just behind the wall on the doorknob side. A heavy thump of the side of Val's fist on the side and the door opens slowly, outward, the lock still broken. Avery strikes just as the man is about to form his question as he peeks into the room, the knife severing his throat and vocal cords in a spray of blood. Avery catches him before he hits the ground, lowering him slowly, silently.

One.

They take a circular route, avoiding the camera this time and heading towards the back of the building. There's no one in the loading bay. The gates are closed but it doesn't take long to figure out how to open one, the metal rattling as it does. But if anyone hears, for now they're too far away to do anything about it. The sun is setting as they make their way outside, Avery leading the way. There are shouts now, two men calling back and forth between each other. They must have found the third.

The front gate is open and they make a break for it but not fast enough that they aren't spotted. As the two men try and get between them and the exit, one gets a knife embedded in the center of his forehead for his effort, falling without a sound just as Avery drops their hand back down, advancing.

Two.

The last one standing is the one who tied Val up and he has his hands up in the air, backing away as Avery goes to retrieve the knife, wiggling it a little to dislodge it from thick bone.

"Would you mind returning our phones please?" Val asks sweetly as Avery wipes the blood off on the dead man's shirt. The man stutters a little and slowly puts his hands down to produce the phones from his pocket, handing them off shakily to Val. "Thank you, my dear, hope never to see you again."

The man stutters again, then nods.

Three.

And they are free. The streets are bright with lamplight as they make their way towards the train station. It's busy, and no one takes note of the stains on Avery's clothing, or the bruises on both of their faces.

"What if I stay?" Val asks quietly as they lean on Avery's shoulder, side by side on the plastic seats, the city zooming by, invisible, somewhere above their heads.

"Corazón, you are miserable here."

"Not with you I'm not. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. And I want to stay with you."

"That's not up to us and you know it."

Val straightens. "It can be. Come April, I'll have full control of my account. If you want to stay then I can make sure you do."

Avery sighs and Val looks down to see their fingers entwine, bruised and bloodstained and warm. "You know I can't say no to you." Val grins and lifts their hands to press a kiss to Avery's scuffed knuckles.

"I was hoping you'd say that. Think it's too late for dinner?"

"Not at all."


End file.
